Changing of the Guard
by The Pootamis
Summary: The final installment of The Reveal and Queen of Steel saga. When tragedy strikes the only way forward is to take one step at a time. Painful baby steps that will forever change their lives.


The tapping of her heel clanging against the wooden floor board. Her blue eyes. Eyes that he can picture now.

Eyes that he has come to love staring a hole into him with a frown across her face and her arms crossed over her chest.

A sight that he can picture so clearly in his mind. A sight that just makes him grin at the mental image causing him to hear a huff escape her lips before he turns to look her way.

Turns to look to find his mental image is an actual reality. Kara Queen. His wife of the past two years staring daggers at him with her arms crossed over her chest.

An reality that only makes his grin widen as he watches her slowly approach before his thoughts are snapped.

Before he is brought out of his daze when he feels her poking him hard in the chest sending him backwards causing him to quickly catch himself.

" Oww! What was that for?"

Coming to rest her hands on her hips as she watches him rub his chest gently letting out a huff Kara narrows her eyes at Oliver finding an mixture of shock and annoyance across his face.

" You know damn well what that was for. I thought we agreed that it would be my choice once the time came?"

Instantly seeing his shocked look be replaced with a grin unable to help herself slowly Kara raises up an eyebrow in question.

" What? We did agree. I agreed to not influence any potential employers in hiring you. What we did not agree on was if said employer was me."

Unable to control her right eye from twitching as though her body had a mind of its own slowly Kara stalks her way forward heading directly towards Oliver following after his retreating form that just stares at her with a smirk and his hands raised up in mock surrender matching him step for step.

" Gorgeous…."

" Don't you gorgeous me!"

Feeling his path being blocked in the form of an office table colliding with his lower back seeing his wife closing the distance between them reaching out to grasp the table slowly Oliver raises up his right hand in front of him.

" Will you please let me explain?"

Coming to a complete halt seeing the pleading look in his eyes letting out a huff slowly Kara crosses her arms over her chest.

" Okay. You're right. I should have talked to you about this. Truth be told, I took the decision away from you and for that i'm sorry. I really am but please i…."

Suddenly as she watches him break away from her gaze and look down towards the ground Kara's facial features soften slightly.

" It's just….i need you here. I…."

Feeling her facial features softening with every passing second silently making her way over reaching out gently Kara wraps her arms around Oliver laying his head down into her chest while the fingers on her right hand come up to gently thread though his hair in a soothing motion.

" I know,I know and i'm sorry too."

Laying down to gently kiss the top of his head bringing her head down to gently rest against on top of his own turning her gaze away to look back up as she glances around the floor.

A quiet floor. A floor usually filled with life. Usually filled with conversation. Usually filled with the sounds of fingers playing across a keyboard.

But not today. Not right now. Especially not in this room. The quote CEO's office. An office that had become vacant just a short three months ago.

Vacant when the unforeseen had happened. A simple night out turned tragedy. A night that seemed like it nothing out of the ordinary was to occur.

A simple dinner. A dinner at his favorite restaurant. A dinner with his wife looking to celebrate what was to be considered to be the newest breakthrough in modern medicine.

But it was not meant to be. Not meant to be an ordinary night. No it would quickly turn to chaos once the unexpected had happened.

Once a hooded man had entered the premise knocking down a few waiters before throwing off their hood in the center of the restaurant revealing an explosive device strapped to their chest.

A sight that none would have enough time to think about when suddenly the man had pressed the trigger causing the restaurant to explode leaving no survivors.

Leaving many that had been silently been passing by injured. Had left families broken. Had caused a massive shock to be felt across the entire city once the names of the victims had been released with two names making instant headlines.

Making the headlines on every front page across the globe. Such a shock that had left the family that they had left behind broken.

Had left them stunned. Had left them seeking answers. Had left them physically and mentally drained not allowing any but the other in.

A feeling that neither of them were aware had been felt out there. Felt through the streets of Starling City.

Felt in the hearts of every citizen that called Starling City their home. Citizens that as though had answered their silent plea railing together.

Railing together to seek out the answer of what had happened. What had happened to the founders of an organization that has given so much for the city.

Such kindness that they would never be able to return. Never be able to show these two wonderful people what the city thought of them.

But they would try. They would try and start with finding out who was responsible. Finding out who was the man behind the scenes to this travesty.

A rally cry that had lead to an almost city wide manhunt. Lead to tip lines being flooded with many suspecting a few of the known names from the criminal world.

Calls that would keep flooding in through the weeks until it had finally happened. An lead. An real lead.

An anonymous tip revealing so much. Revealing a name. A name of an accomplice to the bomber. An accomplice that would be quickly found and brought in for questioning once news had broke of him trying to get out of town.

This accomplice that would soon spill his guts to the local police. Spill his guts revealing a sinister plot. A sinister plot from an unknown player.

An unknown man that had hired them to quote take care of The Queens. Such information that has left the questioning detectives with more questions than answers.

Questions that would never be answered once the next morning had come. Once an guard had made their way down to the holding cells only to find the leading witness to what could be considered the biggest event in the city's history laying dead inside of his cell.

Laying dead with what looked to be the result of poisoning. Another mystery itself that left many questioning what had happened.

Had an officer poisoned this man seeking vengeance in the name of all the lives lost on that tragic night?

Had this man sneak in some kind of substance into the station without anyone noticing? Questions that would not be answered.

What everyone did know was justice had been served. Had been served in the most violentest of ways possible.

But another couldn't think of this right now. Couldn't think of the past as she snaps out of her thoughts and gently holds her husband close to her chest blinking away the stinging sensation erupting in her eyes.

There would be time for tears later. There would be time to mourn the death of two wonderful people later.

A married couple that had treated her with so much kindness. Had treated her so kindly like the daughter that they never had.

And now she would return their kindness. Now she would return their kindness by looking after their son.

Looking after her husband. A husband that had been so strong for her the past three months. Three of the most painful months of her life.

A husband that had never broken down in front of her. Had never allowed her to see his tears that she would often find silently trickling down his face when he thought he had been alone.

But now? Now it no longer mattered. Now maybe it had been too much for him to take. To spend a day in this room.

Inside of this office. His father's office. What would become his office. Their office. An office that she had watched him with concern look around at as though it was the first time his eyes laid upon it the moment they stepped foot inside.

Such an reaction that had made her concern deepen every passing second she watched him walk around.

Walk around grazing his hand over everything. Grazing the office table that she had seen the late Robert Queen working behind on a few occasions.

Graze a marking on a nearby wall when a newly installed soda machine had malfunctioned blasting full soda cans out the opening.

So much emotion that has finally lead to this. Led to his walls finally crumbling. Led to him finally breaking down that she knew he would any day now.

Break down in front of her allowing her to return the favor. Allow her to hold him like he had done for her on so many painful nights.

A favor she would return now just silently holding him as she feels her shirt getting wet. As she feels him shaking in her arms causing her to gently stroke his hair whispering soothing words in his ear.

A scene many would come across in the coming hours causing them to turn and silently walk away giving the young couple privacy.

Giving privacy to the young couple that were expected to take up the leadership roles within the company.

* * *

Laughter. The laughing coming from the screen in front of them. A screen that displays one of the happiest moments in her entire life.

A moment she would never forget. Never forget the day that she had gotten married. Gotten married to the man by her side as she is found snuggled up close to him with her head resting gently on his shoulder and her eyes glued forward at the laptop resting on his lap.

An special occasion that many had named the wedding of the century. A wedding fit for a queen. Such a silly thing to say.

So what if she wanted white and red roses set up around the aisle. So what if she had picked out what she thought was to be the best dress.

So what if she wanted her flower girl to have the perfect dress. No just for her but for the little girl as well that had happily lead her through aisle upon aisle hand in hand with her eyes twinkling in delight that had just made her smile.

A little girl that she watches appear back on the screen now as she watches her past self lift up the little girl in her arms.

Lift up in her arms before she watches with a smile her past self and her little flower girl laugh uncontrollably at her husband that just playfully glares at them with white cake frosting dripping off his face.

This smile that only widens when she watches her past self being brought into a breathtaking kiss not caring about the frosting that mushes into her face.

A scene that just brings back memories. Brings back good memories. Memories of times she would always cherish.

The very same memories that she can see flowing through her husband's mind as she sees him smiling at the laptop's screen out of the corner of her eye.

A smile that just makes her own widen. Widen from seeing the happiness across his face. Happiness that has been absent across his face for some time.

But happiness that would not last as she sees his smile drop slightly. Drop slightly as his eyes start to get watery as another video starts to play.

As the sound of music is heard. As the screen displays couples dancing on the dance floor. Couples with two being followed by the cameraman.

Their past selves dancing closely to each other holding each other close while his parents are seen not too far away doing the very same.

Such a perfect shot of the old guard and the new guard. A perfect shot of The Queen Family. A video that she can see clearly having a huge effect on her husband as she silently watches him.

Silently watches him scooting even closer to him before her hand comes up to gently rest down on his cheek and slowly turn his face to meet her gaze.

To meet her own watery gaze as gently she strokes away at the few lone tears that trickle down his cheek.

" It's okay to cry. Even heroes cry."

Seeing nothing but confusion invading his eyes gently Kara strokes Oliver's cheek with her thumb as her eyes remain on his own.

" You don't have to wear a mask to be a hero. You don't need to have powers to be one either. It's our actions that define us. Think about everything you've done for Queen Consolidated.

Think about all of the citizens of Starling City that you continue to help. You may not think yourself as one but you are. You are a hero to me."

Unable to suppress the silent tears from escaping his eyes reaching up gently Oliver lays his hand on top of Kara's own holding it in place.

" But i'm not the true hero to this story."

Seeing her eyes shifting slightly to look into his own with a bit of question within them feeling his lips curling up gently Oliver squeezes her hand.

" Remember the first day we met?"

Feeling her own lips curling up turning her hand gently to grasp his own very slowly Kara lowers their joined hands down and kisses the palm of his hand before she lays it down to rest against her cheek.

" When i entered into the Starling High that day and saw you. You….you took my breath away. You were just being you.

The new kid on the block. The new kid that had just moved to town. A girl that looked so in her element despite never setting foot inside of the building before.

I remember just watching you from the back of the class during our first period thinking to myself one day.

One day, I would marry that woman. One day, I would prove to everyone that i wasn't a spoiled kid like everyone thought that i was."

Feeling her own smile widening gently Kara rubs her cheek against his hand as she leans into his touch.

" When i finally got the courage to approach you at lunch, I remembered a promise that i had made to myself.

A promise that no matter what. No matter if you hated me or liked me to just be myself. So that's when i found myself looking down towards you.

This gorgeous girl with her nose in a book eating a sandwich silently as she adjusted her glasses that just made her look cuter."

Scrunching her nose in annoyance at the mere image of had used to be her despite the pleased smile across her face from his compliment reaching up gently Kara lays her hand down on top of Oliver's own.

" What i didn't know was at that moment you had saved me from going down a darker path. It wasn't a secret of who, I hung out with in high school.

It wasn't a secret how some of my so called friends would treat girls. I remember my best friend Tommy coming up to me and nudging me on the shoulder once we departed to go to seperate classes telling me when i was going to hit that before mentioning another girl and her best friend in our class that he had his eyes on.

It was at that moment that i had to make a choice. Make a choice between the girl that i was falling hard for and my best friend that was walking down a dangerous path.

A path leading to drugs. Leading to meaningless one night stands. Leading to his face in the front papers for not the right reasons."

Letting out a sigh shaking his head for his once best friend in sadness snapping out of his thoughts looking down Oliver meets Kara's gaze.

" If it wasn't for you, I can't even imagine what my life would be like. You say that i'm a hero but what you don't know is you're the true hero to this story and you didn't need to use your gifts to be one either.

You did it with your kindness. You did it by giving this spoiled kid a chance. A chance to show everyone what you've always seen in me and i'll never forget that.

I'll never stop loving you and i will continue to prove my love for you each and every single day until my last dying breath."

Unable to keep silent tears from trickling down her cheeks to their joined hands leaning up quickly closing the distance between them gently Kara presses her lips to Oliver's own as her free hand comes to wrap around his neck.

Come to wrap around his neck as she feels an arm wrapping around her exposed waist bringing her even closer to his side to the point where she is almost on top of him before breaking off the kiss leaning down Kara buries her face in Oliver's shoulder as tears of joy trickle down her cheeks.

* * *

Why? Why did this have to happen? Why did he have to lose his parents? This kind hearted man that rests by her side that she uses as a pillow just listening to his heart beating in his chest.

A heartbeat that she matches perfectly with every beat as her index finger comes gently down on his chest.

Her favorite pastime. Her favorite moment of the day. The moment that she would finding herself being gently held in his arms.

Being gently held as the scent of their sex still lingers in the air. As the sweat still drips down from her forehead to his exposed chest that she just lays a arm across in possession.

And truth be told he is her's. Is her's now and would always be her's. Was her's the moment that she had laid her eyes on him.

A secret that she has yet to reveal to him. Truth be told she remembered the first day that they had met so perfectly.

Remembered the first time she had set foot inside of Starling High feeling like an outsider. Feeling like an outcast.

An outcast that would be made fun of because of her glasses. Because of the old fashioned book bag that she had strapped over her shoulders.

Because of the way that she dressed. But he didn't see her that way. Didn't see her as an outcast. A boy.

A dark haired boy that the moment their gazes at met had frozen her to her spot. Frozen her with her unable to look away from his green eyes.

These pair of eyes that she thought were the most beautiful thing in the world to stare at. Eyes that throughout the day she could feel watching her.

Feel being directed towards her that for some reason didn't make her feel uncomfortable. Didn't make her want him to stop staring.

Instead she only made her interest in this unknown boy grow deeper. Grow deeper before to her shock she had learned the boy's name during a roll call in class.

Oliver Queen. The Oliver Queen. The son of Robert and Moira Queen. The son of millionaires if not billionaires.

A boy that could have any girl that he wanted. Hell he probably could have any super model that he wanted.

Instead he was showing his interest in her. Plain little old her. Showing interest in someone that didn't think of herself as special.

Didn't think of herself as beautiful despite what many had told her so many times before. But he did. He made her feel beautiful.

Made her feel desirable as she paid close attention in class despite feeling his eyes on her. Despite the whispers that she could hear coming from all around the revolved around her.

The new kid. Just another weirdo. Just another nerd for the picking. Oh how she heard the nicknames being directed her way.

Nicknames that would have hurt her so many years ago but not any more. Their opinions had not mattered.

Not mattered to her anymore anyways. Only his mattered. This Oliver Queen. This boy that she found handsome.

Found to be charming and cute from the way his face would fluster when he would think he had been caught staring at her.

The same cute expression that she would find across his face when he had finally approached her. Approached her showing that he was just a boy.

A boy showing interest in a girl. Showing true interest as his eyes remained on her own at all times as he sat across from her.

Showing true interest as he never made fun of the way she dressed. Never made fun of the way her glasses would just keep sliding down to the tip of her nose making her quickly adjust hoping he hadn't noticed.

If he did he never said anything. Never made her feel uncomfortable. Never made fun of the way she focused on their studies trying to get the best marks that she could.

Simple memories that make her smile into his chest as she snuggles closer not even needing to open her eyes knowing a matching smile could be found across his own face.

A smile that would be short lived as a faint sound invades her ear drums. An unexpected sound. The sound of their closed bedroom door slowly creaking open.

The fairest of squeaks coming from the doorway causing her to crack open her eyes slightly to stare forward.

Stare forward before within a flash she snaps up to a sitting position causing the blanket that had been covering her to fall as she finds a figure standing in the shadows.

Standing in the shadows pointing an arrow straight at her husband before the sound of a swish echoes through the air

The swish of an arrow coming soaring through the air. An arrow that she reaches out snatching it in mid flight before snapping it clean in half with the press of her thumb.

The press of her thumb as her eyes go dangerously blue as they glow through the darkness. Glow before a laser beam comes shooting forward.

Comes shooting forward that lands clean against the unknown archer's bow causing it to explode instantly and send them flying back as she instantly feels her husband waking up from his slumber.

Waking up only to have his eyes go wide in shock from seeing his wife staring straight ahead into the darkness with glowing blue eyes towards a faint shadow of a figure.

A figure that doesn't have a chance to think about their next offensive move when they quickly have to roll out of the way to avoid a blue laser beam that just follows after them through the room as the beam leaves scorching marks across everything it touches.

Avoid until with a roll they reach back to quickly retrieve a concealed firearm from the back of their cloak.

A firearm that finds itself being sent to the ground with a clang when with lighting fast speed Kara snatches a broken piece of the arrow off from the bed and sends it soaring through the air having the broken piece of wood come crashing into the unknown attacker's shoulder sending them flying backwards.

Flying backwards before they leap up to their feet and quickly race for the door. Race for the door as Kara ascends up from the bed high in the air paying Oliver a quick glance.

" Stay here."

Without waiting for a response with a surge of speed Kara soars straight out of the room in hot pursuit.

In hot pursuit finding their attacker not too far away as they stumble to get down the long corridor. Stumble down clearly favoring their shoulder.

Clearly favoring their shoulder as blood trickles down to the carpet below. As blood trickles down their black cloak.

A cloak that she closes down on in short order to drive her right shoulder clean into their back sending the unknown archer sent soaring through the air.

Soaring through the air face first to the rug before she quickly grabs a hold of their cloak when she sees them quickly turning over.

Grabs a hold of their cloak to send them back first into a nearby wall causing the entire wall to shake. Cause pictures and paintings that had been hanging up to be sent spiraling down to the ground.

Glass shards to be sent flying and spreading across the carpet as Kara stares down towards this unknown cloaked figure with her hands clutched into tight fists by her sides.

A cloaked figure whose hood falls back from the sudden impact revealing their face. Revealing that they were of the male population as the lower part of his face is covered up in a mask.

Revealing a pair of blue eyes that just stare up in disbelief. In disbelief at the young woman that has defeated him so easily in this exchange.

This young woman that just stares at him from a foot away with glowing blue eyes naked as the day she was born.

A woman whose eyes scream murder causing his survival instincts to react in the form of his hand coming down inside of his cloak to retrieve a concealed knife from the inside.

A knife that he quickly comes up to jab in her direction feeling himself hitting nothing but air before a sickening snap is heard echoing through the air.

The sickening snap of her elbow driving down hard into his outstretched forearm causing him to scream out in pain.

Cause the knife to slip out from his fingers until before he knows it he once again feels himself soaring through the air.

Feels his back smashing through the wooden railings on the second level. Railings that give in with ease from the sheer force being provided.

Wooden shards that come down upon him as he feels his back landing hard on the hard cold wooden floor boards on the first floor.

As his back smashes against the cold hard wooden floor feeling a shock wave run up and down his spine.

Feel as though the bones in his back have been destroyed. Feeling as though his rib cage has been shattered.

Feeling as though his right arm was broken as he brings his injured arm up to clutch it protectively to his chest.

Clutch protectively to his chest before a crunch coming from above catches his attention. Causes him to look up to find Kara Queen looking straight down towards her from an opening in the wooden railing.

An opening he watches become large as she moves forward smashing the remaining wooden shards that dared get in her path to pieces.

Shards that come landing on him until before he knows it he feels himself being snatched up from the ground and hoisted up into the air.

Hoisted up and his mask ripped off revealing his face. Revealing the face of Malcolm Merlyn. Revealing the face of a millionaire known throughout the city.

A millionaire that can only grin at her from seeing the look of shock across her face. This look of shock that evaporates into an intense glare as if possible her eyes get even brighter.

Get even brighter before a blue laser beam comes soaring through the air that lands clean against its mark.

A blue laser beam that causes a puddle of blood to form on the cold wooden floor boards. Cause her nude body to be sprayed with his blood before she drops his lifeless body to the ground watching it land in a heap.

* * *

" Jon Lane Queen!? You get down here this instant!"

Ignoring his mother's call in favor of soaring high in the air through every room in the mansion gliding down the long corridor heading straight for his bedroom just as he enters through the open doorway suddenly Jon's eyes go wide when he feels a pair of arms wrapping around him.

Wrapping around him causing him to turn his head to find his father staring directly at him with a grin across his face.

A grin that just makes him pout causing him to witness his father let out a chuckle until instantly he watches his bedroom get further and further away as he feels himself being lead out of his room across his father's shoulder.

" But daddy!?"

Feeling his grin only widening shaking his head in amusement making his way down the corridor and towards the wooden railing stationed at the top of the stairs of the second floor looking down as he finds his wife of the last six years looking upward with an not amused look across her facial features feeling his lips curling upward reaching back slowly Oliver raises up his son high up into the air causing him to witness what he swore to be a faint smile come across Kara's face.

A smile that becomes deadly when her gaze turns to look towards their son with a sweet smile coming across her face.

" So good for you to finally join us Jon. We need to hurry. You don't want to be late for your first day of school."

Feeling his lips dipping down into a frown trying his best to wiggle out of his father's embrace just when he manages to slip out of his father's grip and turns intending to make a run for it instantly Jon's eyes go wide when he finds his mother standing before him with a smirk across her face as she looks down towards him with a hint of amusement in her eyes.

" You do remember where you got your gifts from right?"

Letting out a huff crossing his arms over his chest as he stomps down his foot suddenly as he feels a hand resting down on his shoulder from behind slowly Jon turns to find his father looking down towards him with a grin.

" There's nothing to be afraid of son. I'll tell you what. Right after you get out of school how about all of us go out for some ice cream."

Instantly as she watches Jon's eyes go as wide as saucers with a wide smile coming across her face unable to help herself slowly Kara shakes her head in amusement.

" Ice cream!? What are we waiting for!?"

Without having a chance to respond suddenly Oliver watches Jon disappear in a blur and listens to the sound of the front door to the mansion come flying open.

Such a reaction that makes him grin and turn his gaze to find his wife looking at him in amusement.

" He gets that from you."

Rolling her eyes closing the distance between them leaning forward gently Kara presses her lips to Oliver's own only to feel his arms coming to wrap around her waist.

Coming to bring her closer into his chest that she doesn't put up a fight in allowing as her arms come to wrap around the back of his neck and bring his head down closer to her own.

" Mommy!? Daddy!?"

Breaking off the kiss glancing down towards the first floor as she finds her son looking up towards her with a pout feeling her lips curling upward slowly Kara turns her gaze to meet Oliver's own twinkling with nothing but amusement.


End file.
